Valega
by Gunlord500
Summary: At the behest of my friend Surrealijah, a small bit of Saleh x Eirika fluff.


**Valega**

Visitors to Caer Pelyn were not common before the war, and that had not changed after its end. The death of the Demon King had not driven off the beasts who still called the surrounding mountains home, and even aside from them the barren crags and treacherous cliffs were a daunting obstacle for even experienced travelers.

Therefore, Saleh was more than a little surprised to hear a knock on his door one early morning about half a year after he'd returned home from Ephraim's army.

He looked at the pot in which he was boiling his breakfast stew—'twould be a few minutes before it was ready, meaning that his guest, whoever he or she was, had come just in time to enjoy some delicious Caer Pelyn cuisine.

As it turned out, that guest was someone Saleh would be more than happy to share food with. And wisdom, too.

He opened his door to see a very familiar face. Her beautiful blue hair framed a lovely face with soft features that belied the strength in her clear blue eyes. Those eyes alone would have been enough to tell him he was looking at royalty, though the unassuming grey traveling cloak she wore probably wouldn't.

"Master Saleh," she said warmly, genuine affection evident in her face and voice, "It's been too long! I'm glad to see you're well."

The sage returned that kind smile with one of his own. "As am I, Princess Eirika. Please, come in."

He showed her inside, and together they sat down to enjoy the stew which had just finished. Saleh's home was not at all impressive—little more than a cottage, really; a hearth at its center served as its kitchen, in front of which a small stone slab served as a table, with the floor as a chair and a pair of blankets nearby as beds—all in a single room, of course. Eirika, however, despite being a princess, did not appear to mind a bit.

"It has indeed been some time, Princess," said her host between mouthfuls of the savory stew. "How fares your country? Reconstruction is progressing well, I trust?"

"Very much so. We still have a long way to go, of course, but the land is beginning to heal. I remember, Saleh, the last time you met you pledged that the Renais I loved would be restored. I wanted to come here to tell you that you have kept that promise." She again smiled at him, which allowed a tiny bit of stew to dribble from her mouth in a slightly unladylike fashion. With a small 'eep!' she hastily wiped it away, blushing slightly, but her embarrassment receded in the face of Saleh's good-natured chuckle.

"You haven't changed much at all, Princess. Still as dignified as ever, but strong as well, if you managed to reach Caer Pelyn alone."

"Thank you, sir. I…it's nothing, really. But as you kept your promise to me, I also wanted to keep my word to you.

"Oh?"

"Master Saleh, do you remember what I asked you the last time we met?"

"Hmm…" He thought for a moment, then recognition lit in his eyes. "Ah, yes! You said you would visit me here. You wanted to learn more about Valega."

She beamed. "Exactly right, Master! I'm so happy you haven't forgotten. Ah, that is…well, if you would have me, of course. If I'm at all imposing—"

"You needn't even ask, Princess. I told you we'd welcome you with open arms, and that is not a promise I mean to break. Truth be told, I could use the company. It has been lonely here, ever since Ewan left on his journey. But what about your country? Are you sure you're able to spare time for a visit?"

"Ephraim and Seth have things very well in hand. As I said, it is a long road ahead of us, but the worst is over. The country has stabilized, for the most part, and I have a little time, at least, for my own pursuits."

"Then, my lady, please feel free to stay as long as you wish."

So began the Princess of Renais' first visit to Caer Pelyn. It would certainly not be her last.

-x-

"Very good, milady. You've truly taken well to Valega."

It had been one month since Eirika had come to join him in Caer Pelyn, and she had proven herself to be as astute a student as he could want. She had absolutely mastered the very basics of the art, as illustrated by her picture-perfect posture at the moment. Just like Saleh in front of her, she was sitting cross-legged on the floor, absolutely still, with her eyes closed and her hands clasped, pointing upwards, in front of her chest. That was what made many outsiders think Valega was a sort of prayer, which wasn't entirely true—but not necessarily incorrect, either.

"It certainly feels like it," she replied serenely, opening her eyes. "Just a few minutes each day of this ritual is enough to make me feel at peace."

"Reinvigorating rather than taxing, as is its purpose." Outsiders often thought that Valega wasn't much, and on this they were very mistaken. At first glance it did seem to be little more than meditation—the ritual involved simply maintaining that position for minutes or hours, however long the adherent wished. Its true value, however, lay not in the physical realm but the mental and spiritual, which Eirika had learned. "With that, then, shall we continue yesterday's lesson?"

"Please, master."

Eirika had mastered the ritual, and now she was learning the theory behind it. "To review, what did I tell you about the nature of the art?"

"Valega as a wish? Yes, I think I understand that. A wish that expands beyond individual desire, a wish that transcends one person to encompass the entire world we all live in. By attuning oneself to this universal wish, the urge to better the world for all rather than a few, we strengthen ourselves through the meditation of Valega, and increase our ability to reach for that better world."

"Very good, Princess. Now, then, do you know from whence this art originated?"

"I…I don't."

"There's no shame in that, for I've not taught you! I will do so now.

"Valega has been passed down in Caer Pelyn for centuries—eight hundred years, in fact, ever since the Great Dragon sealed away the Demon King. The ritual strengthened his bond to the humans he defended, but also steeled his resolve to make the world safe for all living beings of good will, be they any race of man or dragon. The art, therefore, is even more than a source of peace and strength for its participants. It is a memorial to the Great Dragon's sacrifice, and a reminder that his work is not yet finished, even if we have triumphed over evil for now. The quest to better not only oneself but the world as a whole is never-ending."

"I see," she said, her eyes widening. "A connection between humans and dragons as well as between an individual and the world around. And you've shared that connection with me for all this time…Master Saleh, I am truly honored."

He grinned. "Though the people of Caer Pelyn have long enjoyed their privacy, Valega is one thing I wish we could share with the wider world. Princess, you will have to return to your country soon, yes? Then consider what I have taught you to be a connection between us. So long as we both live, there will be a little of me in what I have taught you, and a little of you from your time as my student."

"Master Saleh…" She reached out and clasped his hands in her own. "I…I am so grateful. Thank you so much. But before I go, I would offer one more request."

"What is it?"

"Though I return to Renais for now, I hope this will not be my last visit. If…no, when I return…Master Saleh, please don't call me 'Princess.' When I'm with you, after everything you've given me, I'd like to be just 'Eirika.'"

"If that is your wish, P—Eirika, I will be more than happy to comply. In return…the next time I see you, just call me "Saleh." We are no longer master and student, but friends."

It was with a heavy heart, then, that the two friends parted. But as Eirika disappeared among the misty crags that led away from Caer Pelyn, both of them took solace in one thing:

Neither the promise nor the connection they had made would be broken.


End file.
